SSCI210

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Using your current work organization (or an organization of interest) as the subject matter, research the elements of business and prepare an APA formatted paper that:

  • Analyzes the organization’s basic legal, social, and economic environments
  • Analyzes the organization’s managerial, operational, and financial issues including:
    • Project Management
    • Project Timelines
    • Critical Paths and Contingency Planning
    • Implementation Plan Contingencies
    • Staffing Needs and Tools
    • One Gantt Chart Example
    • One PERT Chart Example
  • Analyzes the impact of potential change factors and the impact on the functions of management

This assignment will be assessed using additional criteria provided here.

Please submit your assignment.

Submitting your assignment in APA format means, at a minimum, you will need the following:

  1. TITLE PAGE. Remember the Running head: AND TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS
  2. ABSTRACT. A summary of your paper…not an introduction. Begin writing in third person voice.
  3. BODY. The body of your paper begins on the page following the title page and abstract page and must be double-spaced (be careful not to triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs). The type face should be 12-pt. Times Roman or 12-pt. Courier in regular black type. Do not use color, bold type, or italics except as required for APA level headings and references. The deliverable length of the body of your paper for this assignment is 4-5 pages. In-body academic citations to support your decisions and analysis are required. A variety of academic sources is encouraged.
  4. REFERENCE PAGE. References that align with your in-body academic sources are listed on the final page of your paper. The references must be in APA format using appropriate spacing, hang indention, italics, and upper and lower case usage as appropriate for the type of resource used. Remember, the Reference Page is not a bibliography but a further listing of the abbreviated in-body citations used in the paper. Every referenced item must have a corresponding in-body citation.

Case study of nursing_2000 words

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This assessment provides you with the opportunity to: 
1. Discuss four social factors that impact on the health of a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background (approximately 230 words per factor, 925 words in total this section). Your discussion must be supported by a minimum of 5 references. 

2. Analyze the scenario below to identify four health problems that require further assessment and follow-up by the Registered Nurse (approximately 230 words per factor, 925 words in total this section). For each of the identified health problems, clearly state what the problem is and then discuss what further information is needed by the Registered Nurse to enable the assessment of each health problem. Give examples of the questions that you might ask about each health problem to get this information. Your response must be supported by a minimum of 5 references. 

The two responses are to be presented as a formal scholarly essay, supported with reliable sources of evidence which have been referenced correctly using the Harvard Referencing System. 

SCENARIO 
‘Uncle Jim’ is a 62 year old Aboriginal gentleman who has a long history of poor health. He lives with his family and friends in Alice Springs and sometimes spends long periods of time with relatives in other locations. He travels to Adelaide every few months for assessment and treatment of his health conditions. He is not able to independently manage the medicines that he has been prescribed and he needs assistance with some activities of daily living. His daughter Sue is his main carer and she has her own health problems, so sometimes has difficulty looking after him. 

Systems Review 
Neurological 
Uncle Jim’s family report that he has become very forgetful during the past year and now needs close supervision and support. He is easily confused when in new surroundings and has trouble remembering people’s names. 

Respiratory 
Uncle Jim has a history of cigarette smoking and has been diagnosed with chronic respiratory disease. He has been admitted to hospital twice during the past year as a result of chest infections. 

Cardiovascular 
Uncle Jim has a long history of hypertension and has been prescribed antihypertensive medications. He has a poor tolerance of physical activity and occasionally complains of chest pain when he is exerting himself. 

Musculoskeletal and Integument 
Uncle Jim can use all limbs, and is able to walk a short distance with assistance. The condition of his feet is poor and there are scars on his legs from ulcers that he has had in the past. 

Endocrine 
Uncle Jim has type 2 diabetes mellitus which he manages with a diabetic diet and oral medication. 

DIRECTIONS 
The paper must be presented as a formal scholarly essay with the following sections:
 
Section A – 100 words 
The introduction should catch the reader’s attention in an interesting way and introduce what will be discussed in the assignment. 

Section B – 1850 words 
This section should address two specific areas: 

1. Discuss four social factors that impact on the health of a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background (approximately 230 words per factor, 925 words in total this section). 

2. Analyze the scenario above to identify four health problems that require further assessment and follow-up by the Registered Nurse (approximately 230 words per factor, 925 words in total this section). For each of the identified health problems, clearly state what the health problem is and then discuss what further information is needed by the Registered Nurse to enable the assessment of each health problem. Give examples of the questions that you might ask about each health problem to get this information. 

Section C – Conclusion 50 words 
The conclusion presents a brief paragraph that ties together the main points of the assignment, but does not introduce new ideas and generally does not include new literature or direct quotes. 

Section D – Reference List 
A minimum of 10 references (five for each section of the assignment) from reliable sources of evidence such as journals and textbooks should support the assignment. They should be referenced correctly using the Harvard Referencing System. 

Causes of child abuse

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Child Abuse

 

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Introduction

Cases of mental health problems keep on increasing in society due to poor social upbringing of children. Mental health is regarded as the sound nature of the brain (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.d). Mental illness indicates a medical condition, which results in disruption of an individual’s mood, feeling, thinking, and ability to function, as well as associate with others effectively (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.d). As such, an individual lacks the potential and ability to cope with life’s ordinary demands. Child Welfare Information Gateway (n.d) asserts that a long-term study had findings that approximately 80 percent of adults had a psychiatric disorder while at the age of 21 due to maltreatment of children. Such disorders make these individuals to engage in activities, which include suicide attempts, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Mental health is a serious issue in United States where approximately 81 percent of the adult population within psychiatric hospitals is diagnosed with mental illness, which develops because of maltreatment of children (WCHAC-STATS, 2001).

            Children are in the developmental stage, and their behavioral actions depend on their immediate surrounding environment. This environment is characterized of adults and social activities. The environment has negative effects on children including child abuse, which results into devastating negative effects on the activities of a child in the future. Child abuse may be regarded as the child’s domination of a perpetrator through coercion, force, deception, or denial of rights (Wang, & Holton, 2007). Child abuse is preventable; however, in United States, confirmation is made annually of approximately one million children falling as victims of child abuse. Research conducted reveals best and promising practices, which aid in improving well-being and child safety, as well as instances of child abuse. These efforts are crucial since child abuse has long-lasting and pervasive effects on society, their families, and on children. Negative effects of children’s development, which include multiple domains like cognitive, social, emotional and physical, become evident immediately. Such effects may extend beyond the young age to youth and consequently to adulthood. This results in the compromising of an individual’s lifetime productivity.  

According to Wang and Holton (2007), annual cost of United States child abuse was estimated at $103.8 billion with reference to 2007 value. This cost indicates that child abuse is a serious and widespread social problem, which demands effective approach in order to eliminate its negative impacts. The high cost of child abuse is integrated into the mental health cost. This is because individuals who are diagnosed of mental illness have at least one of the major forms of child abuse in their daily life. Therefore, in order to minimize the cost of mental health, child abuse should be addressed effectively. This illustrates that failure to undertake the cost of eliminating child abuse in society results in the development of additional costs during the treatment process of mental health cases. As figure one indicates, the trend of child abuse has been increasing since 1998 to 2010 in United States. This source of this overwhelming trend of child abuse is physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment. Such sources of child abuse results in psychological disorders, which act as sources of mental health problems among children. According to Child Help (2012), approximately 80% of individuals abused as children develop psychological disorder; however, such psychological disorders may not be the same.

            Child abuse is related to mental health problems. This is because individuals subjected to this vice of child abuse experience psychological problems. Human brain is at the developmental stage at the early childhood; the individuals surrounding environment and genetics influence this development (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2009).  A newborn brain has a neuron as the raw material of the nerve cell. These neurons then develop after birth of a baby to adolescent stage and finally to the adult stage. Therefore, the brain of a baby develops and grows as the baby interacts and learns from the environment on how to function within the environment. As such, whatever happens to an individual during this stage results in the development of several psychological, as well as behavior functions. This illustrates that children and the young people tend to adapt behavioral activities and functions as the environment provides the same. Child abuse is one activity, which may result in attainment of negative impacts in individuals, in society. This is because the perpetrators of this vice may limit the freedom of an individual to interact effectively with the environment or lead the young towards adaptation of negative behavioral practices from the environment. Further, child abuse is one of the known social vices, which results in negative behavioral practices and mental health problems. This limits the ability of individuals to survive effectively within their social settings. Such complications results in individuals seeking for medical attention, as well as finding themselves in isolation facilities. One of these facilities is the prison where child abuse triggers individuals to commit crime and consequently, they are imprisoned.

The issue of child abuse and mental health is very important in the current society. This is because childhood abuse survivors tend to suffer significantly more even after the end of the abuse. This results in an increment in the number of abuse survivors who focus on visiting hospitals in order to attain medical attention. These survivors are liable to other conditions, which include hepatitis, heart diseases, diabetes, and stroke among other conditions.  

Literature Review

            Child abuse is a serious social problem, which results in violent behavior, adult criminality, childhood delinquency, and mental illness. Three previous studies have shared this theme. The study conducted by Widom and Maxfield (2001) focused on analyzing the cycle of violence. The study involved 908 child abuse cases since 1967 to 1971 and the results were compared with cases of 667 children who were regarded as free from any form of abuse. This study collected secondary data from Midwest metropolitan area. The findings of the study indicated that abused children would engage in violent behavior later in life, have mental health problems, have poor performance in education, and their achievement levels are low. The theme in this study illustrates that child abuse has tremendous effects in mental health of an individual. The behavioral patterns, which survivors of child abuse develop, are linked closely to the type of maltreatment, which such individuals develop because of child abuse activities.

            A second study indicated the same conclusions. Maltreatment of children results in development of crimes and mental illness cases. Currie and Tekin (2006) study was based on a sample of 80 schools, which were a representative of U.S education system. These schools produced adolescents who were subjected to filling of the questionnaire while others were engaged in home-based interviews. The study’s conclusion was similar to Widom and Maxfield (2001) conclusion that child abuse had devastating impacts on the behavior and mental health of an individual. The theme in this study depicts that the vulnerable population of child abuse is aware of the negative impacts of the vice such as attainment of mental health problems.

            A third study by Kathleen (2002) to determine the health effects of childhood abuse had a conclusion that childhood abuse has a closer relationship to health through cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral factors. This study involved the organization of literature in a psychology framework, which describes emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral pathways.

            The strength of the literature review is based on the methodological part of previous studies on child abuse. This research indicates that child abuse has a negative impact on the life of an individual even after the discontinuation of such acts in the future. The adoption of both primary and secondary means of data collection enables such researches to attain strength in the conclusions made. This is because information is sought from different sources, which enables effective comprehension of factors. Moreover, the study population used in these researches was appropriate for the investigation been conducted. The use of adults after child abuse and children subjected to child abuse in these studies creates room for digging further into the reality of child abuse and mental health, as well as behavior of an individual.

 Unfortunately, the research conducted had room for gathering of unreliable data. This is because a case study of an individual involved in child abuse was not used, rather, data was collected via interviews and questionnaires and records, which indicates that it was possible to collect in adequate and insufficient information, which is related to the research topic.

The studies, which were conducted previously, may be improved through expansion of research. As such, this study will contribute to the former studies through identification of the ways in which child abuse leads to mental health problems. The study focus will be on the age group of 14 to 18 years.

The purpose of the research is to determine whether child abuse leads to mental health problems. The research will identify various ways in which child abuse occurs, and the possible mental illness associated with such childhood abuse effects. Further, research will find out what needs to be done in order to eliminate child abuse, which has the negative impacts of causing mental illness. This research will also focus on providing suggestions on what should be done in order to ensure that child abuse activities are minimized. Such measures will contribute towards the attainment of a higher reduction of the number of individuals in society who have mental health problems.

Null Hypothesis:child abuse does not lead to mental health problems

Alternative Hypothesis:child abuse leads to mental health problems

Data and Methods

            This study will comprise a sample of 300 students, from three high schools in Kentucky. Kentucky is selected as the study city, in United States, since this city has been depicted in reports to have a higher rate of child abuse, in United States. The three schools will be randomly selected and they will each give 100 eleventh graders of students. The anticipated age group is fourteen to eighteen years. Ethnic groups for this study include Koreans, Hispanic, Asians, Black, Japanese, and White. The following questions will aid in measuring these groups:

  1. What is your gender? (Tick appropriately)

1. Male            2. Female

  1. How old are you? (Tick appropriately)

1.   14        2. 15   3. 16    4. 17   5. 18

  1. What is your ethnicity?

1.      Korea    2. Hispanic          3. Japanese   4. Asian   5. White         6. Black   7. Other

The sample will be used in this research through the parents and high school consent. Rewards will be disseminated to the schools and students for participation in the research.

            The study will also involve a child abuse survey questionnaire, which will be disseminated and collected. The proposed study is a cross sectional study. Participating students, in the study, will take the survey during the normal school hours. Questions for the survey will seek information on child abuse history and awareness of the consequences of child abuse in society. Each survey questionnaire will comprise of 40 questions.

            This study will be based on non-experimental research design. Child abuse is the independent variable for this research, which results in the development of the mental health problems. The proposed research design will determine the rate of child abuse among students, and how child abuse leads to mental health problems. Some of the questions to measure the independent variables include:

  1. Are you a victim of child abuse?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

  1. Do you know of somebody who has been a victim of child abuse?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

  1. Do you think that child abuse results into mental health problems?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

  1. Do you know of an individual who has been hospitalized because of mental illness?

                                                              i.      Yes  

                                                            ii.      No

  1. Do you support the activity of child abuse in society?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

Mental health is the dependent variable for this research. This variable will be measured using the same survey questionnaire, which will be used in the process of independent variable measurement. Nevertheless, the dependent and independent variable will have their own independent sections of asking questions. These questions will focus on mental health problems. Some of the questions for the dependent variables include:

  1. Are you aware of mental health problems in society?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

  1. Do you know a person who has mental health problems?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

  1. Is any of your family members having mental health problems?

                                                              i.      Yes 

                                                            ii.      No

  1. What type of mental health problems have you heard?

                                                              i.      Psychological

                                                            ii.      Social

                                                          iii.      Physical

  1. What are the consequences of mental health problems that you know?

                                                              i.      Crime

                                                            ii.      Stigmatization and discrimination

                                                          iii.      Violence

                                                          iv.      Negative behavioral patterns

This study has several strengths. One of these strengths is the use of primary method for data collection, which will grant the study an opportunity to collect first hand data, which has not been used previously. Further, since the study is cross sectional, there will be no need of using follow up survey for the respondents. Moreover, the location of this study is within a city where child abuse is rampant. This will grant the study an opportunity to collect adequate information on child abuse link to mental health problems.

Unfortunately, this study has a limitation in that the participants may provide inadequate or unreliable information on the survey questionnaires. This may lead to rejection of some of the surveys. Further, some participants may fail to return the questionnaires, which indicate that data may be limited from the anticipated number. Finally, the focus of this study is on students who are essentially not victims of child abuse, which indicates that there is possibility of not getting reliable data and information on the research been conducted.

Analysis and Implications

            The process of hypothesis testing will involve grouping of the sample population results into two groups: information, which indicate child abuse causes mental health problems and information, which indicate child abuse does not cause mental health problems. Chi-square test will enable in making a comparison on the rate of child abuse to cause mental health problems. If the rate of child abuse leads to mental health problems is high, the research hypothesis will be supported otherwise the null hypothesis will not be rejected when the rate of child abuse leads to mental health problems is low.

            Previous research has indicated that child abuse leads to behavioral problems, but it has not been prevented effectively. This study will illustrate that higher rate of child abuse in society leads to mental health problems. This indicates that there is a need for preventing child abuse by ensuring that the young generation (children included) is not maltreated. Further, measures have to be taken in order to ensure that the level of mental health problems in society, as a result of child abuse is reduced significantly.

            On the other hand, if the null hypothesis is accepted, child abuse will need to be reduced in society in order to ensure that the behavioral patterns of individuals remains within the acceptable level in society. More research will need to be undertaken to determine whether mental health problems develop because of other risk factors. Research should also be undertaken as a case study of preselected families of individuals with child abuse history in order to identify the problems of child abuse and its impacts as an individual grows. This will create room for developing effective strategies, which will enhance in attainment of success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Child Help. (2012). National Child Abuse Statistics. Retrieved from:

http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (n.d). Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and

Neglect. Retrieved from: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2009). Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on

Brain Development. Retrieved from: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/issue_briefs/brain_development/brain_development.pdf

Currie, J, & Tekin, E. (2006). Does Child Abuse Cause Crime. Retrieved from:

http://aysps.gsu.edu/CurrieTekin_childabuse.pdf

Kathleen, K. (2002). “The Health Effects of Childhood Abuse: Four Pathways by Which

Abuse Can Influence Health”, Child Abuse and Neglect. 6 (7).

Wang, C, & Holton, J. (2007). “Total Estimated Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect in the

United States”, Economic Impact Study (September 2007).

WCHAC-STATS. (2001). What Can Happen to Abused Children When They Grow Up – If

No One Notices, Listens or Helps? Retrieved from: http://www.theannainstitute.org/wchac-ststs.pdf

Widom, C, & Maxfield, M. (2001). “An Update on the Cycle of Violence”, National Institute

of Justice.

Casy study

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Case Study

 

Directions: For this assignment, answer the following questions based on the case study, “Applying Exercise State of Change to a Low-Income Underserved Population”. Use complete sentences when answering each question. Answers to each question should be more than one sentence in length.

 

1)    What was the behavior change theory that was used for this study? Why was this theory selected? Do you think it was the best choice for this study design? How was this model measured? (4 points)

 

 

2)    Who was the target population for this study? Why was this population group selected? (4 points)

 

 

3)    Propose how social disparities may have been a factor in the study results. (4 pts)

 

 

4)    How can this study be used for future research on behavioral change within this population group? (4 points)

 

 

5)    What are some limitations to this study? Will these limitations affect the applicability of the transtheoretical model to other low-income populations? (4 points)

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Headnote

Objectives: To validate the transtheoretical model for exercise behavior and the constructs of decisional balance and self–i efficacy for exercise in a lowincome, poorly educated primary care sample. Methods: Patients attending public primary-care clinics from 4 separate sites in Louisiana were interviewed regarding their health behaviors. Results: The data provide equivocal support for applying the transtheoretical model for exer

Headnote

cise and integrating it with other models of behavior change within this population. Conclusions: Further studies modifying the decisional balance measures are necessary before definitive statements regarding the applicability of these models to exercise within this specialized population can be made.

Key words: exercise, stages of change, models of behavior change, underserved population

Am J Health Behav 2003;27(2):99-107

A sedentary lifestyle adversely impacts health status and can be attributed to approximately 250,000 deaths per year in the United States alone.12 In contrast, regular physical activity has been shown to improve physical and psychological health,3.4 such as decreased incidence of coronary heart diseases protection against stroke,6 decreased incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus,’ and lower risk for colon cancer.” Exercise also has been shown to result in positive psychological health benefits.9

Several theoretical models have been proposed in an effort to explain and predict exercise behavior. One frequently used theoretical model that has been proposed to help improve prediction of and interventions for improving exercise behavior is the transtheoretical model.10-12 This model considers the process of adopting and maintaining exercise behavior a dynamic one and advocates empirically based stage-specific interventions. The 5 empirically derived stages of change are Precontemplation (not intending to exercise regularly in the next 6 months), Contemplation (considering beginning to exercise regularly in the next 6 months), Preparation (intending to begin exercise regularly in the next month and having displayed some behavior indicative of change), Action (having successfully begun to exercise regularly for a period of less than 6 months), and Maintenance (successfully exercising regularly for at least 6 months).

Several theories of behavior change have been integrated into the transtheoretical model, including decisional balance and self-efficacy. The decisional balance theory is a model of behavior change postulated by Janis and Mann 13 that examines motivations associated with decision making. The model proposes that people engage in a behavior based on the pros and cons associated with that behavior. This model has been used to help explain the cognitive processes involved in moving from one stage of change to another.10 The available evidence consistently indicates that the pros and cons “cross over” before people actually take action. In fact, some evidence suggests that people first begin to increase their evaluation of the pros of the behavior change, then subsequently decrease their evaluation of the cons. An increase in pros corresponds to movement from Precontemplation to Contemplation, whereas a decrease in cons corresponds to movement from Contemplation to Action. 10,14

Self-efficacy refers to people’s beliefs concerning their capabilities of performing a behavior and their importance in determining whether they actually engage in the behavior.15 Marcus and Owen” found that self-efficacy for exercise behavior reliably predicted stage of change. Precontemplators and Contemplators had the lowest efficacy, and those in the Maintenance stage had the highest efficacy.

Studies integrating these behavior– change models typically enrolled participants having high education and socioeconomic status. 11,16 Validation of these models in specialized populations will provide information regarding their applicability and will assist in dictating appropriate behavior-change interventions to underserved individuals.

The purpose of this study was to validate the transtheoretical model for exercise behavior in a low-income, poorly educated primary care sample. At the time these data were collected, the American College of Sports Medicine recommended that adult Americans engage in at least 20 minutes of moderate physical activity on 3 or more days per week.” For the purpose of this study, we use this recommendation as the basis for the definition of regular exercise.

The goals of the study were to (1) obtain prevalence information regarding stage of change for exercise, (2) test the ability of the pros and cons measures to differentiate stage and compare results to previous research, (3) test the ability of exercise self-efficacy to differentiate across stage, and (4) compare the results to existing studies.

METHOD

Participants

Participants were recruited as part of a study examining high-risk behaviors and preventive medicine practices of low-income individuals attending primary care clinics. Five hundred fifty four patients attending public primary-care clinics from 4 separate sites in Louisiana were randomly selected to participate in this study. Patients older than 18 years of age were recruited. Although participants were not asked about their income level, previous studies have shown that these clinics serve primarily low-income patients. For example, Scarinci and colleagues’8 found that only 2% of patients attending public care clinics reported monthly income above the low-income bracket. According to the US Bureau of the Census, adults at or below 200% of the poverty line are classified within the low-income bracket.19

Procedure

Participants were randomly selected while attending scheduled clinic appointments from October 1995 through June 1996. Participants read and signed an informed consent and were given information regarding the purpose of the study. Participants were then interviewed using questionnaires discussed below. Details concerning other aspects of the study are reported elsewhere.20 Participants were compensated $25 for their participation. Medical records were reviewed to record diagnosed chronic illnesses.

Measures

Exercise Stages of Change Questionnaire (SOCQ). Participants were asked questions regarding stage of change for regular exercise.21 Respondents indicated which description best described themselves from a list of items assessing intendon to exercise regularly, attempts to engage in regular exercise, and length of time they have engaged in regular exercise. Based on the individual’s responses, she or he is classified as in the Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, or Maintenance stage of change. The definitions used in this study are based on previous work with the transtheoretical model.22

Exercise Decisional Balance Questionnaire (DBQ). The DBQ is a 16-item measure designed to assess the degree to which individuals weigh pros and cons of engaging in exercise. Participants use a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 = not important to 5 = extremely important to rate given statements regarding their decision to exercise. The DBQ for exercise is composed of 2 scales including the pros and cons. Higher scores on the Exercise Pros subscale indicated the extent to which individuals consider the advantages of engaging in regular exercise. The Exercise Cons subscale indicated the degree to which individual consider the disadvantages of engaging in regular exercise. The DBQ has been shown to have adequate psychometric properties.16 Internal consistency reliabilities were .79 for cons and .95 for pros.23

Exercise Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SEQ). The Self-Efficacy for Exercise Questionnaire is a 5-item measure designed to assess confidence in an individual’s ability to engage in exercise in a range of given situations. Participants rate their confidence levels to these given situations on a 5-point Likert-type scale from 1 = not at all confident to 5 = extremely confident. It has adequate internal consistency (alpha = .82 and .76 from 2 separate studies) and a test-retest reliability over a 2-week period of .90.(21)

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS).24 The BRFSS questionnaire has been widely used to measure high-risk behaviors among adults over 18 years old. Test-retest reliability has been reported to be adequate in a tri-ethnic population (kappa ranging from 0.57 in whites to 0.77 in African Americans).25 The BRFSS was developed from telephone surveys conducted by the CDC and others to assess the prevalence of high-risk behaviors on a population-wide scale.24 The BRFSS focuses on behaviors that are related to one or more of the 10 leading causes of death. For the purpose of this paper, only the data on exercise will be presented. A particular metabolic equivalent (MET) was attributed to each exercise reported as proposed by Ford and colleagues.26 The energy expenditure was then calculated for each activity according to the formula: Kcal/week = METs X hours/week X weight in kilograms. Therefore, kcals/week were generated for each exercise and summed to obtain a total energy expenditure/week for each participant.

Data Analyses

Simple statistics, including descriptive and frequency analyses, were computed on the demographic variables. Frequency analyses also were conducted on stage-of-change data. Standard analysis of variance tests were conducted on continuous demographic variables (ie, age, years of education) and dependent variables (kilocalories expended through exercise, decisional balance, and self-efficacy) with stage of change as the independent variable. Chi-square analyses were conducted on discrete variables (ie, gender, race) with stage of change as the independent variable.

RESULTS

Sample Demographics

The overall sample was 59.9% African American, 80.7% female, 42.1% unemployed, and 43% married. Approximately 49% completed high school, and 7% received a GED. The mean years of education completed was 10.94 (SD=2.84). The mean age was 45.34 (SD=14.08). The majority had no health insurance (71.2%). Approximately 20% received Medicaid, Medicare, or both. Based on medical chart reviews, it was found that approximately 72% of the sample had at least one chronic illness.

Models of Behavior-Change Data

The following are results regarding stage of change for exercise. Data are presented on how stage of change is associated with various demographic variables, as well as its association with energy expenditure as measured by self– reported exercise through the BRFSS. Data also are presented on how decisional balance and self-efficacy relate to stage of change. In order to derive standardized values consistent with the literature, data on decisional balance and self-efficacy variables were converted to t-scores.

Stages of Change for Exercise

Approximately half the sample (52%) reported engaging in no exercise (Precontemplation and Contemplation). Almost 17% reported engaging in some exercise, but not regularly (Preparation). Overall, a total of 68% did not engage in exercise 3 days/week for a minimum of 20 minutes each day. Stages-of-change distribution for exercise for the sample are presented with a comparison from the literature in Table 1.

Stages of Change and Demographic Variables

In order to determine whether stage distribution was differentially associated with selected demographic variables, oneway ANOVAs were conducted on continuous variables (ie, age, years of education) and chi-square analyses were conducted on discrete variables (ie, gender, race). ANOVA results indicated no significant differences between groups in terms of years of education. Results for age indicated those in the Action stage of change were significantly younger than those in the Precontemplation stage of change [F(531,4)=2.75, P<.05]. Those in the Maintenance stage of change were not significantly different in terms of age from any of the other groups. Results of chi-square analyses indicated there were more Whites in the Precontemplation stage than African Americans, and there were more African Americans in the Preparation stage than whites X^sup 2^(4)=12.82, P<.05. Results also indicated gender differences with more women in the Contemplation and Preparation stages and more men in the Maintenance stage, X^sup 2^(4)=11.91, P<.05.

Stages of Change and Kilocalories Expended Through Exercise

To validate self-report of exercise stage of change, a one-way ANOVA was conducted examining group differences in terms of reported kilocalories expended per week through exercise. Results indicated that participants in the Action and Maintenance stages of change, or those who reported engaging in exercise 3 days/ week for at least 20 minutes per day, reported expending significantly more kilocalories per week than did those in the first 3 stages of change [F(531,4)= 38.38, P<.0001]. The mean total kilocalories expended per week through exercise was 1150.05 (SD=1474.55) for those in the Action stage and 1389.89 (sd=1695.51) for those in the Maintenance stage. These means are above the Surgeon General’s recommendation of 1000 per week,27 indicating participants in these later stages likely classified themselves correctly. The means for Precontemplation, Contemplation, and Preparation were far below the recommendations (153.50 kcal/week, 51.90 kcal/week, and 386.13 kcal/week, respectively). Results indicated participants responded in a consistent manner when answering questions about current exercise and stages of change.

Stages of Change and Decisional Balance

One-way ANOVAs were conducted to test for differences in decisional balance variables (exercise pros and cons) across the stages of change. Results were significant for the exercise Pros [F(529,4)= 17.60, P<.0011; Tukey post hoc comparisons indicated that the Precontemplators appraised the pros of exercise as less important than did the participants in all other stages of change. Results are presented in Table 2.

For the exercise cons, results were also significant [F(529,4)=3.42, P<.011; Tukey post hoc comparisons indicated participants classified in the Contemplation stage of change appraised the cons of exercise as more important than did those in Maintenance. Results are presented in Table 3.

Stage of Change and Self-Efficacy

A one-way ANOVA also was conducted to test for differences in exercise selfefficacy across the stages of change. Results indicated that exercise self-efficacy significantly differentiated participants across the various stages of change, F(531,4)=38.32, P<.001. Tukey post hoc comparison results indicated Pre-contemplators had significantly lower levels of exercise self-efficacy than did all those in other stages of change (P<.05). Contemplators had significantly lower levels of self-efficacy than did those in Action and Maintenance (P<.05). Those in the Maintenance stage of change had significantly higher levels of exercise selfefficacy than those in all 4 other stages of change including those in the Action stage (P<.05). See summary of these results in Table 4.

DISCUSSION

Exercise Stages of Change

Only about one third of the sample, or those in the Action and Maintenance stages of change, reported engaging in regular physical activity 3 times/week, 20 minutes each time. Approximately 68% of this sample, those in the Precontemplation, Contemplation, and Preparation stages of change, reported not exercising at the frequency and duration of exercise that was recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine” at the time the study was conducted. This percentage is on par with that reported for low-income individuals (65%).28 Overall, these rates are much higher than is acceptable for the goal stated in Healthy People 2010, which is to reduce the prevalence of sedentary lifestyle to less than 20%.(2)

Results indicate more individuals in this sample are in earlier stages of change for exercise as compared to other samples from studies assessing exercise stages of change.16 The other studies were conducted on samples with quite different demographics from the present one as all participants were employed and the majority had greater than a high school education.11,21 Marcus and colleagues acknowledge their samples are not representative and should not be seen as absolute prevalence estimates. These results may support the demonstrated educational29 and socioeconomic status differences in terms of exercise participation.211 Those with lower education and income are more sedentary than individuals with higher education and income. Additionally, increased prevalence rates of sedentary lifestyle may reflect the fact that participants were medical patients with a potential medical history.

This is supported by the observation that approximately 72% of the sample had at least one chronic illness. Unfortunately, our definition of regular activity was conservative compared to the current recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week. Had this recommendation been used for our definition of regular exercise, even fewer participants would have been classified as in the Action or Maintenance stage of change. Overall, results support the need for increased physical activity within this population, especially because many of the chronic illnesses plaguing this population could possibly be helped with regular exercise (obesity, coronary artery disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, etc).

The validity of the stages of change construct was examined through comparison with questions from the BRFSS assessing kilocalories expended per week through exercise. The questions from the BRFSS significantly differentiated participants across stage of change with those in the later stages of change expending more kilocalories per week through exercise than did participants in the earlier stages of change. Mean energy expenditure for those in the Action and Maintenance stages of change were greater than 1000 per week indicating participants were meeting the Surgeon General’s recommendations.27 These results also demonstrated participants were responding in a consistent manner and were comparable to those obtained by Marcus and Simkin’2 in a sample of Rhode Island employees.

Exercise Decisional Balance

The exercise decisional balance variables did not strongly discriminate between all of the stages of change though they do follow a similar pattern to that obtained in previous research as seen in Figure 1. Previous research has not demonstrated a clear differentiation across all stages, but has demonstrated a stronger differentiation across stages than the present study.23 The pros of exercise significantly differentiated the Precontemplators from the other stages of change (Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance). These results differ from previous studies that found the pros of exercise to differentiate across most stages of change.21 Even less of a differentiation was obtained with the cons, or barriers to exercise, as it only significantly differentiated Contemplators from Maintainers, those who have exercised regularly for more than 6 months. Again, results are in contrast to previous studies where the cons of exercise differentiated across most stages of change.21 Figure 1 demonstrates the differences between the “expected” pattern for pros and cons as seen in previous research versus those obtained in the present study.11,21

The crossover of pros and cons, or the point in the stage process where pros began to be appraised as more important than the cons, occurred in the Contemplation stage of change. Previous research in exercise has demonstrated this crossover to occur in the Preparation stage of change;23 however, other problem behaviors have shown a crossover pattern in Contemplation. It has been argued that this crossover consistently occurs before the Action stage of change,10 demonstrating that people change the way they appraise problem behaviors before they change them. There appears to be no consensus as to whether it occurs during Contemplation or Preparation.

Exercise Self-Efficacy

Regarding exercise self-efficacy, results showed that individuals in the latter stages of change had higher exercise self-efficacy than did those in the earlier stages of change. Unfortunately, clear differentiation across all stages was not present (ie, no differentiation between Contemplation and Preparation and no differentiation between Preparation and Action); however, this problem has been noted in previous research and may not necessarily be a problem specific to this population.11,21 The need to further modify the instrument to clearly differentiate between all stages has been documented.21 Figure 2 demonstrates the “expected” pattern for self-efficacy as seen in previous research versus those obtained in the present study.11,21 The observed pattern is comparable to that obtained in previous research.

General Discussion of the Transtheoretical Model

In summary, results regarding exercise self-efficacy were similar to those obtained in other studies; however, responses on the exercise pros and cons from the decisional balance measure provided a less clear differentiation across stages than that seen in other studies. These results may be interpreted in one of 2 ways. The obtained results could reflect measurement problems regarding the assessment of pros and cons. Analyses of participant response to the pros indicated that 72% or greater of the respondents rated the 10 pro questions as either “very important” or “extremely important.” Such responding limited the variability and may have prevented group differences from being observed. An opposite pattern of response was observed for the cons questions. On 4 of the 6 current cons for exercise, almost half the sample reported the con was “not important.” These results suggest that current questions regarding cons may not adequately assess the exercise barriers within this population or that the format does not provide adequate discrimination. A modified version including more environmental barriers to exercise, ie, safety, childcare, may result in improved differentiation across stages, 23 and ultimately may provide information for appropriate stage-matched interventions for community-based programs in this population.

Another explanation for the limited ability of the exercise decisional balance variables to discriminate across stage is that the stages of change may not apply to this population. It could be that the proposed differences in cognitions across the stages are not as distinctively defined in this lower-educated population. For example, individuals in the Precontemplation stage of change rated the pros of exercise significantly lower than all the other stages of change. It may be the case that once an individual in this population is convinced of the benefits of exercise, the evaluation of those benefits does not change as the individual progresses through stages. Overall, these results demonstrate potential differences in demographically diverse samples and reinforce the need to validate behavior change models in underserved populations.

Implications and Futue Directions

Results of this study indicated that the current sample of low-income individuals attending primary care clinics has high rates of sedentary behaviors that may have a significant impact on their health status. Further studies need to be conducted regarding the applicability of the transtheoretical model of exercise behavior. Some of the obtained results for exercise are consistent with existing data regarding stage of change. There are areas that require further research to ascertain whether discrepancies between the present findings and other studies reflect measurement problems specific to this population or imply the stages of change for exercise behavior does not apply to this population. Future studies should include modification of pros and cons, or the perceived benefits and barriers of these behaviors, to further test the applicability of the transtheoretical model for this specialized population.

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by funds provided by the Louisiana State Legislature.

References

REFERENCES

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2000: Midcourse review and 1995 revisions. Hyattsville: National Center for Health Statistics 2000:2326.

References

2.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Fitness. In Healthy People 2010 (chapter 22). Washington, DC 2000:3-39.

3.Haskell WL. Health consequences of physical activity: understanding and challenges regarding dose-response. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994;26(6):649-660.

4.Dubbert PM. Exercise in behavioral medicine. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1992;60:613-618. 5.Leon AS, Connett J, Jacobs DR, et al. Leisure

time physical activity levels and risk of coronary heart disease and death: the multiple risk factor intervention trial. JAMA. 1987;258(17):2388-2395.

6.Shinton R, Sagar G. Lifelong exercise and stroke. BMJ. 1993;307:231-234.

7.Helmrich SP, Ragland DR, Leung RW, et al. Physical activity and reduced occurrence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 1991;325:147-152.

8.Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm EB, et al. Physical activity, obesity, and risk for colon cancer and adenoma in men. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 122:327-334.

9.Carmack CL, Boudreaux E, Amaral-Melendez

References

M, et al. Aerobic fitness and leisure physical activity as moderators of the stress-illness relation. Ann Behav Med. 1999;21(3):251-257.

10.Prochaska JO, Velicer WF, Rossi JS, et al. Stage of change and decisional balance for 12 problem behaviors. HealthPsychol. 1994; 13:3946.

11.Marcus BH, Owen N. Motivational readiness, self-efficacy and decision making for exercise. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1992;22:3-16.

12.Marcus BH, Simkin LR. The stages of exercise behavior. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1993;33:8388.

References

13.Janis IL, Mann L. Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice and Commitment. New York: Free Press 1977.

14.Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Prochaska JO, et al. Decisional balance measre for assessing and predicting smoking status. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;5:1279-1289.

15.Bandura A. Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. 1977;84:191215.

16.Marcus BH, Eaton C, Rossi JS, et al. Selfefficacy, decision-making and stage of change: an integrative model of physical exercise. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1994;24:489-509.

17.American College of Sports Medicine. Position statement on the recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness in healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1990;22:265-274.

18.Scarinci IC, Ames SC, Brantley PJ. Chronic minor stressors and major life events experienced by low-income patients attending primary care clinics: a longitudinal examination. J Behav Med. 1999;22:143-156.

19.U.S. Bureau of the Census. Low income uninsured children by state (on-line). Available: http://www.census.gov/hhes/hlthins/ lowinckid.html. Accessed July 8, 2002.

20.Boudreaux E, Carmack CL, Scarinci IC, et al.

References

Predicting smoking stage of change among a sample of low socioeconomic status, primary care outpatients: replication and extension using decisional balance and self-efficacy. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 1998;5(2):148-165.

21.Marcus BH, Selby VC, Niaura RS, et al. Selfefficacy and the stages of exercise behavior change. Res Q Exerc Sport. 1992;63(1):60-66.

22.Prochaska JO, Marcus BH. The transtheoretical model: applications to exercise. In RK Dishman (Ed.), Advances in Exercise Adherence. Human Kinetics 1994;161180.

23.Marcus BH, Rakowski W, Rossi JS. Assessing motivational readiness and decision making for exercise. Health Psychol. 1992;11(4):257261.

References

24.Centers for Disease Control. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (on-line). Available: http://www. cdc.gov/brfss/brfsquesquestionnaires.htm. Accessed July 8, 2002.

25.Shea S, Stein AD, Lantiguq R, et al. Reliability of the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey in a triethnic population. Am J Epidemiol. 1991;133:489-500.

26.Ford ES, Merritt RK, Heath GW, et al. Physical activity behaviors in lower and higher socioeconomic status populations. Am J Epidemiol. 1991;133:1246-1256.

27.Centers for Disease Control. Notice to readers publication of surgeon general’s report on physical activity and health. Mor Mortal Wkly Rep. 1996;45(27):591-592.

28.Centers for Disease Control. Prevalence of sedentary lifestyle – Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 1991. Mor Mortal Wkly Rep – CDC – Surveill Summ. 1993;42(29):576-579.

29.Garrison RJ, Gold RS, Wilson P, et al. Educational attainment and coronary heart disease risk: The Framingham Offspring Study. Prev Med. 1993;22:54-64.

AuthorAffiliation

Cindy L. Carmack Taylor, PhD; Edwin D. Boudreaux, PhD; Shawn K. Jeffries, PhD Isabel C. Scarinci, MPH, PhD; Phillip J. Brantley, PhD

AuthorAffiliation

Cindy L. Carmack Taylor, Assistant Professor, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Behavioral Science, Houston, TX. Edwin D. Boudreaux, Assistant Professor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Camden, NJ. Shawn K. Jeffries, Research Instructor, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS. Isabel C. Scarinci, Assistant Professor, University of Memphis Center for Community Health, Memphis, TN. Phillip J. Brantley, Professor and Director, Division of Educational Programs, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

Address correspondence to Dr. Carmack Taylor, Department of Behavioral Science, Box 243 UTMDACC, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030-4095. E-mail: ccarmack@mdanderson.org

Word count: 4297
 

Copyright PNG Publications Mar/Apr 2003

HEALTH ADMIN

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Pick one of the listed scenarios and complete the worksheet

 

 

Week Five Case Studies

 

 

 

Case Scenario 1

 

 

 

The practice manager at Happy Cardiology Services has been asked by human resources to create and implement a program to address concerns brought by the coding, billing, and credentialing staff (n=10). Staff collectively feel that administration does not fully understand their job duties and does not provide a way for the staff to share their concerns about the work environment. Comments have also been made to human resources that they feel some pressure to up-code and aggressively seek payment from patients. Morale is low, and staff have been resigning at a rapid pace. They are currently at a turnover rate of 22%. 

 

 

 

Case Scenario 2

 

 

 

The staff members at Smiley Hospital are assigned to specific patient age groups and their responsibilities differ across the unit. The staff has been complaining that their evaluations do not accurately measure their responsibilities and that they are being measured on performance outcomes they cannot control. Morale is low because they believe their work is not being recognized or distributed fairly (leadership/ethical issue). The directors at Smiley Hospital have been challenged with developing a new way to fairly assign and assess individual performances according to their various job descriptions.

 

 

 

Case Scenario 3

 

 

 

The quarterly reports of expenditures for all the St. Agnes Health System have been distributed. You are the director team for the Orthopedic Clinic, and your area has grossly overspent its budget for the third consecutive quarter. There are rumors circulating that your job depends on reducing costs for supplies, the most expensive item on the list. Other rumors suggest that all the clinic staff fear they will lose their jobs if the poor financial report for the clinic causes the board to convert the clinic into an urgent care or outsource services (issues as to culture and the health of work environment, such as rumors, toxicity, and ethics related to culture and communication). Although morale has been low, you have been adequately staffed and there seems to be an increase in sick calls by everyone on the team.

 

 

 

discussion

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Welcome our weekly discussion. Class discussions are mandatory and graded. Each discussion is worth 20 points. To get full credit for your discussion make sure you have completed all the following before Monday at 9am EST:

1. Respond completely to ALL the discussion points below

2. Respond meaningfully to two posts of other students

This week’s topic: Earth Science and Natural Hazards

Step 1- read/review the following:

  • “Alfred Wegener” Article under Instructor Insights. The article is also available at: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/wegener.html
  • Steps of the Scientific Method (Week 1)

Step 2- Respond to the following:

  • Explain briefly  Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift 
  • Discuss the steps of the Scientific Method that Wegener followed in developing his theory
  • Was he able to follow ALL the steps of the Scientific Method in his lifetime?  Which ones (if any) did he forgo?
  • What was the response of the scientific community to Wegener’s theory originally? Why do you think scientists responded as they did?
  • Describe 2 lines of evidence that eventually led to the acceptance of the continental drift theory and plate tectonics.
  • How long did it take for this theory to become accepted?
  • What was required for full acceptance of Continental Drift?

Step 3- Independent research

Go to the real-time Earthquake map at USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/. 

  • Take a look at the latest earthquakes in the US. How strong were they? Where were they located?
  • Now zoom out on the map so you can see the entire world. How strong was the strongest recent quake, and where was it?
  • Note the red lines on the map. How do you think these relate to Wegener’s theories and Plate Tectonics?
  • Do you notice any correlation between the dots representing earthquakes and the red lines? Why do you think that is?

 

ETHC-445 Principles of Ethics – Complete Course A+ Material

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Week
and TCOs

Readings 
& Exercises

Assignments

Week 1
TCOs

1 and 7

Ethics and Aristotle

Chapter 1: The Need for Ethics

Chapter 5: Comparing Cultures

Chapter 12: A Perspective on History
Portion: “Introduction” and “The Classical Period”

Appendix titled: “Writing about Moral Issues”

“How Good People Make Tough Choices” by Rushworth M. Kidder (found in Doc Sharing and on Week 1 Assignment page)

Homework: Ethics paper

Graded Discussions

Tutorial and Quiz

Week 2
TCOs

1 and 2

Human Nature in Ancient & Medieval Ethics

Chapter 3: The Role of Feelings

Chapter 4: The Role of Conscience

Chapter 12: A Perspective on History
Portion: “The Medieval Period”

Homework: Ethics paper

Graded Discussions

Week 3
TCOs

2, 4, and 9

Living Ethically through a Social Contract

Chapter 6: A Foundation for Judgment

Chapter 10: Considering Consequences

Chapter 12: A Perspective on History
Portion: “The Modern Period”

Homework: Ethics paper

Graded Discussions

Tutorial and Quiz

Week 4
TCOs

3, 6, and 7

Kant’s Ethics and 
Our Duty

Chapter 9: Considering Moral Ideals

Chapter 12: A Perspective on History
Portion: “The Ethics of Duty”

 

Homework: Ethics paper

Graded Discussions

This is the mid-point of the Course: a time review for the Three Primary Schools of Ethics, plus Aristotle’s Ethics of Virtue.

Week 5
TCOs

4, 5, and 8

What about Choices 
& Consequences

Chapter 2: The Role of the Majority View

Chapter 7: The Basic Criteria

Chapter 10: Considering Consequences

Chapter 12: A Perspective on History
Portion: “The Ethics of Consequences”

Homework: You Decide scenario and Response Solution paper

Graded Discussions

Week 6
TCOs

2 and 8

Ethics in Human Relationships Week

Chapter 8: Considering Obligations

Medical and Ethics Legal Codes

Graded Discussions

Case Study and Quiz

Week 7
TCOs

1, 7, and 9

Wrapping it up and Making it personal

Chapter 11: Determining Moral Responsibility 

Chapter 12: A Perspective on History
(review the whole chapter)

Graded Discussions

Week 8
All TCOs
All Topics

Final Exam

Two essays ” topic: atmosphere”

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Three-Paragraph Essay Guidelines

Essays are due at the beginning of the first class meeting of each week. They must be typed or neatly handwritten. The structure of the essays, unless otherwise instructed, is as follows:

  A.Title of Essay, your name (Last, First), class # (OCN100.01), and date. (10 points)

  B. Paragraph #1: State an overview of the topic. Describe the essential components of the topic. Show your understanding of how these components interact to create a logical system. For example, if the topic is “Waves”, then define and describe the fundamental properties of waves. Try to make a definition that includes all aspects of waves, but excludes all things that are not waves (for example, different types of ocean waves include: gravity waves, deep-water waves, shallow water waves, tsunami, wind waves, and seiche waves). Give examples to support your explanation of the topic. (20 points)

 C. Paragraph #2: Choose one aspect of the main topic, then go into greater depth and detail describing it. Break it down further into its fundamental parts. For example, given the concept of waves as a topic, you might choose tsunami, describing what the term means, the history of tsunami, how they are generated, and their effect on shorelines and life.  Use examples to support your thoughts. You may choose historical events to further deepen our understanding (e.g., the Fukushima, Japan disaster of  2011, or the Banda Aceh tragedy of 2004). (20 points)

 D. Paragraph #3: State a personal connection that you have with the topic. Choose any aspect of the topic that you have had a special personal connection to, then describe in detail that connection, along with your personal feelings in a way that can make the rest of us understand and relate to your experience. For example, you took a vacation to Hawaii and visited the ancient volcano Diamond Head at Waikiki on the island of O’ahu. It was a particularly calm day, so you decided to boogie board the waves at the point. All of a sudden, a ‘freak’ wave caught you and sent you straight up 7 meters on a breaking mountain of water. Just when you were about to be swallowed by the ocean forever, an unseen hand reached out, grabbed you, and plopped you on his surfboard.  It was Chris Ward, out that day at Waikiki practicing up for the Mavericks competition. Lucky you. (20 points)

 E. While writing your essay, use seven (7) required terms from The Etymological Dictionary of Earth Science.Highlight those terms in the body of your essay. When you have completed the essay, make a list of those terms at the end. Write out the history of the term (its etymology) as given in the required text, The Etymological Dictionary of Earth Science, along with its complete definition. You do not have to copy the ‘First usage’, ‘Synonyms’, or any other part of the dictionary entry. (30 points)

F. Read your own essay, and edit it for errors and improvements. Do not rely just on spell & grammar check. Read it out loud at least once so you are familiar with it, and so you can read it to the class if asked to do so.

 

 G. Have the essay complete and ready to hand in at the beginning of the class period.

can you do it?

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I just want you to reply to these to discussion with 100 words each, just simple response.

 

The first one,

 

It is interesting article since it shows an important point of the relationship and the difference between Capitalism and Democracy. Sometimes looking at the negative effect is not enough, so looking positively is a way better to make people understand the situation on either side. Positively, both are working together but the difference is that each one has its own tasks. To crack the conflict between them we need to make them work together and equally. Democracy gives the people freedom, right and equal. However, Capitalism tends more to an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. I see that most of countries, which have a Democratic system, also have Capitalism and both are helpful either for governments and its citizens. Giving people the right to choose their master and government could help to apply the Capitalism system perfectly in order to raise the economy and people wealth. In fact, the people would interact well to help improve their economy if the two systems work together, and the government might be satisfied with its nations so they can avoid any conflict that might cause due to these systems.

 

 

The second one

 

 

In my view they are rival siblings that arose from the same environmental conditions, property rights, and legal rights from undue process and guaranteed in law, and representation. Democracy is a mechanism for choosing government, which is the entity responsible for creating and enforcing laws. It results in good laws and bad laws. The nice thing about it is that it provides a civil process for changing laws. It’s not as good as having a wise ruler, but it’s a lot more stable. Much of the legal system is actually designed to protect property rights and not individual rights. Capitalism arose and the newly enriched merchant class then pushed for more say in government, so the franchise was widened to include them. Gradually this franchise was widened to include workers through campaigning and collective bargaining. As with rivals they tend to try and get one over on each other. Unchecked capitalism regularly hits crisis and the people suffer from fraud, uncompetitive practices and gouging if not regulated by laws introduced by democracy. However, Just look at the monopoly positions of opportunistic pharma investors the moment raising price on generic medicines and out of patent medicines because they are in a monopoly position. Unchecked crony capitalism has the upper hand at the moment as moneyed interests are dominating assemblies by paying for candidates advertising and lobbying.

 

” For Prof Xavier”

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The section highlighted is the one I need to due because its my major…….

 

udents, please view the “Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment” in the Student Center.

Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.

Assignment 1: Applications of the Scientific Method
Due Week 4 and worth 160 points

The scientific method is useful in problem solving and decision-making in a wide variety of fields. In this assignment, you will demonstrate how to use the scientific method to make decisions and solve problems in your field of study or everyday life.

Identify a specific problem often faced in your field of study or everyday life. Research your problem and assess your data / research. Examples of such problems could be:

  1. Business
    1. Developing a new product that is superior to competitor’s brands; or
    2. Establishing a price for a new product using the law of supply and demand;
  2. Information Systems and Technology
    1. The use of personal electronic devices for work purpose, or
    2. Determining in the most cost-effective computer for your business;
  3. Criminal Justice
    1. The reliability of eyewitness testimony, or
    2. Determining what evidence reveals to you about a crime;
  4. Everyday Life
    1. Selecting a particular brand of detergent, or
    2. Determining the most cost-efficient transportation / route for your commute.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

  1. Explain the scientific method and describe the overall manner in which you would apply it in your field of study or everyday life.
  2. Propose one (1) testable hypothesis to explain / solve the problem you have selected. State the expected outcomes of your actions and include criteria for determining whether or not these actions would succeed. Note: Your hypothesis should be stated very precisely.
  3. Describe the main actions that you intend to put into place to test the hypothesis that you proposed in Question 2. Describe the way in which you would evaluate the success of your program. Include the results that you would deem as a success and the results that would be considered a failure.
  4. Discuss the wisdom behind the strategy you would use to test the hypothesis from Question 3, and describe the additional steps you might take, depending on the results of your test. Note: These additional steps might be to revise your original hypothesis (if the results were unsatisfactory) or to propose new hypotheses. The goal is to continuously improve your understanding of the factors influencing your outcomes, to be able to achieve greater results over time. 
  5. Use at least two (2) quality resources / references in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and personal blogs do not qualify as quality resources.

Your report must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Apply concepts in physical sciences to evaluate current trends and issues in the modern world.
  • Describe the physical processes influencing climate and weather.  
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in physical sciences.
  • Write clearly and concisely about physical sciences using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.